Springfield daily republic. [volume] (Springfield, O. [Ohio]) 1887-1888, 1887-01-13
OUR WEATHER PROPHET.
HOW THE PROBABILITIES" ARE
PREPARED IN WASHINGTON.

R..sixtnp the Reports of observations
Taken All over the Countrywide
Prophet's HercuIesn Tssk-PerPlsxing
Lines of the Chart.
Doubtless most habitual readers Of morn
ing newspapers have acquired the habit OF
netting along with the coffee and egg on
the breakfast table, the weather predic-
tions which Uncle Sans bureau so kindly
furnishes the press. Probably few have ever
taken the trouble to make systematic obser-
yations of the weather and comparisons
thereof with the predictions made by Uncle
Sans hirNi prophet Uncle Sans prophe-
,ies are made not in Chicago, for Chicago
and surrounding country. as one might
suppose, hut at Washington. Scattered
throughout the country, between the oceans,
the gulf and the Canada border, are some
thing like 800 observation stations, where
observations are made by the officers IN
charge at : n. M, 3 p. m. and = m.
every dav. These observations are slmni-
taneous throughout the country. and M
Clude the actual and corrected readings "t
| the barometer and Thermometer. and th~r
| changes since previous report; the direction
and velocity of the wind, aS well nS It's pres
sure: the relative humidity "i the air, the
| amount Of rain or snow fallen sine" last re-
| port; the amount anh form of clouds, au-
roras. haze, fog, SmokinoSH. frost, etc.
These observations arr cundenrd by means
of the cipher code into ten or twelve words
| for each report. and sent ON 10 Washing
| ton. Three times a day this iS done, ana
each time the bureau at Washington ron
structs from the information thus afforded
il great weather charts or maps as dig a
| the side of a room.
| REPORTS OF OBSERVATIONS.
| After the reports of observations takeE
all over the country an hour before md
night have been received the weather
prophet in Il big room at Washington take
off his coat, passes his hand few time
| across his brow, rnuttcrs some words whlci
are unintelligible, but which sometime
sound like Here goes for luck. and thei
rushes at his herculeau labor of forctclilnt
the weather during the next twenty-fof
hours in all parts OF the United States
By | o'clock his great task Is completed
and then be wipes the perSpiratiou from hi
brow, puts on his overcnst, eNtinguIShe
his light, and goes home leaving the NIL
lions Of Uncle Sans subjects to their fate
There is no reason why this perspirin
iaborer should not be a good prophet. Be
| fore him as he tolls are half dozen ol
charts. made up from the hundreds OF G
pher kilograms, showing everything abou
the weather status that anybody ought I
know. and good many things of very lii
tie importance. He has before him a chaI
of barometric presSures, temperatures, an
winds at the different stations, with IL
amount Of clouds and precipitation OF raj
or snow. On this chart isobars or hn'
connecting stations where the barometr
pressure Is the same. are drawn for ever
, tenth OF an inch, a. are also isotherm
lines for every 10 degrees Of temperatur
while wind directions are marked by a
. rows and their hourly velocities by nun
bers. A second chart. or map of the Unite
States, shows the relative humidities at q
stations, with the character and amount
, the upper and lower clouds, which ha'
, been called natures weather guides. [
this chart are traced lines of equal relati'
, humidity over the country, showing Il
territorial areas over which precipitation
rain or snow, is Likely To ensue upon the r
duction OF temperature, or where the clou
are likely 50 he dissipated by rise OF ter
| perature